This unit will cover introductory material regarding Ecological behaviors, biological hierarchy of organisms, trophic level interactions within food chains, as well as classifying producers, consumers, and decomposers. This unit will integrate the use of technology by using concept maps, graphing data on laptop computers, elmo or transparency projectors to help visualize diagrams and other notes, research for classroom projects, as well as the use of videos and simulations. Having technology within the lessons will allow students to explore advanced avenues for learning individually, as well as with their peers. Students will also have to apply background knowledge in order to learn new content material. Background knowledge will not only include the scientific principles of living and non-living things, environmental factors, as well as cells, but it will also incorporate background knowledge from mathematics with the use of fractions, solving for unknown variables within equations, as well as units of measurement. Overall, students will have the opportunity to participate in discovery learning, think peer share experiences with their classmates, experiences for stimulating prior knowledge, as well as various forms of assessment. Within the laboratory experiments of this ecological unit, students will not only be "hands on" in their kinesthethinc processing, but also "minds on" while going through the learning process. Kinesthetically performing the experiment, while also understanding the true meaning of what they are scientifically seeing and learning will guide students through these inquiry sequences.
In order for students to fully understand this standard, background knowledge must be applied as well as acquired. During the sequences of class periods, students will receive the opportunity to stimulate prior content knowledge to gain further understanding of the topics covered within this standard. Acquired knowledge students will gain within this unit will include content material based on the biological hierarchy of organisms (populations, communities, ecosystems, biospheres), calculating population density, what food chains depict, the types of organisms that construct a food chain, as well as trophic levels. Regarding this GSE, students must be put in the best position to successfully gain the knowledge within the parameters of this standard. This translates into a blending of both prior knowledge as well as understandings of the new content material in order to adequately address this grade span expectation.
Outline, Concept Map, or other Graphical Representation of the Concepts Addressed in the Unit
Within this unit there are various forms of formal and informal assessments that measure student progress within the course. Always informally assessing students throughout the class period is a key to monitoring student focus, initiative, and progress. By informally assessing students through their responses to critical thinking questions at the beginning of lessons, their responses to debriefing questions at the conclusion of lessons, as well as the following of all safety rules and regulations will give indications of how much students comprehend the content. Formally assessing students through various formative and summative assessments also give indications of how students are learning the material. Within this unit there is a final summative assessment in the form of a final exam, another assessment in the form of a quiz, as well as many other activities and assignments that students will be assessed with.
Creating a unit around true meaning will not only yield a successful learning environment for students, but it will also translate the interest of the many different topics covered within the lesson sequences. A major component to meaningful lessons is the use of effective openings to "hook" and engage students within their learning experiences. Making the topics within the unit meaningful by connecting what is being learned to students' lives and experiences will not only stimulate student interest, but maintain student interest. The use of asking introductory engagement questions was a successful method for this rationale. Taking into account students' prior knowledge with their understanding of certain topics, for example their prior knowledge about the characteristics of living and non-living things, allows student to apply what they have already been exposed to into their current learning. Stimulating prior knowledge is also a method for reviewing previous content. In terms of comprehension, the sequence of the lessons is very important for students. Ordering lessons in a proper sequence allows students to continuously build their learning. It is also imperative to assess students within these sequences of lessons in order to assure they are sufficiently retaining the content. Within this unit there are various forms of formal and informal assessments that measure student progress within the course.
Title: Ecology
Author: Christopher Martinelli
Grade Level: 9/10
Course: Introduction to Biology
Purpose of Unit
EDC 430 F11 Unit Plan Preview - ChristopherM
This unit will cover introductory material regarding Ecological behaviors, biological hierarchy of organisms, trophic level interactions within food chains, as well as classifying producers, consumers, and decomposers. This unit will integrate the use of technology by using concept maps, graphing data on laptop computers, elmo or transparency projectors to help visualize diagrams and other notes, research for classroom projects, as well as the use of videos and simulations. Having technology within the lessons will allow students to explore advanced avenues for learning individually, as well as with their peers. Students will also have to apply background knowledge in order to learn new content material. Background knowledge will not only include the scientific principles of living and non-living things, environmental factors, as well as cells, but it will also incorporate background knowledge from mathematics with the use of fractions, solving for unknown variables within equations, as well as units of measurement. Overall, students will have the opportunity to participate in discovery learning, think peer share experiences with their classmates, experiences for stimulating prior knowledge, as well as various forms of assessment. Within the laboratory experiments of this ecological unit, students will not only be "hands on" in their kinesthethinc processing, but also "minds on" while going through the learning process. Kinesthetically performing the experiment, while also understanding the true meaning of what they are scientifically seeing and learning will guide students through these inquiry sequences.
Learning Performances and Standards
LS2 (9-11) - 4
LS2 (7-8) - 5
In order for students to fully understand this standard, background knowledge must be applied as well as acquired. During the sequences of class periods, students will receive the opportunity to stimulate prior content knowledge to gain further understanding of the topics covered within this standard. Acquired knowledge students will gain within this unit will include content material based on the biological hierarchy of organisms (populations, communities, ecosystems, biospheres), calculating population density, what food chains depict, the types of organisms that construct a food chain, as well as trophic levels. Regarding this GSE, students must be put in the best position to successfully gain the knowledge within the parameters of this standard. This translates into a blending of both prior knowledge as well as understandings of the new content material in order to adequately address this grade span expectation.
Outline, Concept Map, or other Graphical Representation of the Concepts Addressed in the Unit
Lesson Sequence
ChrisM - F11 - Ecology - Day 01
ChrisM - F11 - Ecology - Day 02
ChrisM - F11 - Ecology - Day 03
ChrisM - F11 - Ecology - Day 04
ChrisM - F11 - Ecology - Day 05
ChrisM - F11 - Ecology - Day 06
ChrisM - F11 - Ecology - Day 07
ChrisM - F11 - Ecology - Day 08
ChrisM - F11 - Ecology - Day 09
ChrisM - F11 - Ecology - Day 10
Assessment Plan
Within this unit there are various forms of formal and informal assessments that measure student progress within the course. Always informally assessing students throughout the class period is a key to monitoring student focus, initiative, and progress. By informally assessing students through their responses to critical thinking questions at the beginning of lessons, their responses to debriefing questions at the conclusion of lessons, as well as the following of all safety rules and regulations will give indications of how much students comprehend the content. Formally assessing students through various formative and summative assessments also give indications of how students are learning the material. Within this unit there is a final summative assessment in the form of a final exam, another assessment in the form of a quiz, as well as many other activities and assignments that students will be assessed with.
Rationale
Creating a unit around true meaning will not only yield a successful learning environment for students, but it will also translate the interest of the many different topics covered within the lesson sequences. A major component to meaningful lessons is the use of effective openings to "hook" and engage students within their learning experiences. Making the topics within the unit meaningful by connecting what is being learned to students' lives and experiences will not only stimulate student interest, but maintain student interest. The use of asking introductory engagement questions was a successful method for this rationale. Taking into account students' prior knowledge with their understanding of certain topics, for example their prior knowledge about the characteristics of living and non-living things, allows student to apply what they have already been exposed to into their current learning. Stimulating prior knowledge is also a method for reviewing previous content. In terms of comprehension, the sequence of the lessons is very important for students. Ordering lessons in a proper sequence allows students to continuously build their learning. It is also imperative to assess students within these sequences of lessons in order to assure they are sufficiently retaining the content. Within this unit there are various forms of formal and informal assessments that measure student progress within the course.